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Can be used to make fabric -

The first, and perhaps most unlikely, benefit is that stinging nettles can be spun to make a fabric. In fact, their use as a textile goes back centuries.

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Can be used to make fabric -

During WWI, when a European blockade starved Germany of raw materials including cotton, stinging nettles were woven into fabric and used to make military clothing.

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Can be used to make fabric - More recently, German fashion designer Gesine Jost has used nettles to make items of clothing, attracted to the fact they need less water and pesticides to grow than cotton.

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May keep people awake -

Perhaps not a benefit depending on how you look at it, but some people say that stinging yourself with nettles can help you stay awake during the night.

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May keep people awake -

There are stories embedded in nettle folklore (yes, that’s a real thing) that describe Native Americans stinging themselves so they could stay awake for all-night vigils.

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May keep people awake -

This benefit should be taken with a pinch of salt, however, just like the nettle stories in Norse legend, such as Loki fashioning a net from nettle yarn to catch salmon.

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Can relieve joint pain -

More likely to be of substance is the suggestion that stinging nettles can relieve joint pain. Again, people have been saying this for centuries, but we now have hard evidence.

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Can relieve joint pain -

In 2000, researchers conducted a study to see whether there was any merit to the theory that nettles have pain-relieving properties.

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Can relieve joint pain -

The study showed that people suffering from arthritis in their thumb or index finger experienced more pain relief when applying nettles with sting than those applying nettles without.

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Improves surrounding environment -

Nettles also do great work to support the surrounding environment in which they grow. For starters, they improve soil that has been overfertilized.

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Improves surrounding environment -

They also reduce the heavy metal content in soil and promote biodiversity in the sense that they support various different species of insects, in particular butterflies.

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Improves surrounding environment -

Finally, it is believed that stinging nettles would have great potential as a carbon sequester if they were farmed commercially.

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Contains many nutrients - Nettles also have great nutritional value. For starters, they contain high levels of iron, even enough to rival more commonly consumed leaves, such as kale and spinach.

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Contains many nutrients -

They also contain considerable amounts of zinc and magnesium, and they provide more protein than many other green vegetable.

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Contains many nutrients -

Many cuisines from around the world already make use of nettles as an ingredient. For example, boiled nettle with walnuts is a common dish in the country of Georgia.

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May reduce inflammation -

There is some evidence that nettle has potential as an anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is important for fighting infection, but chronic inflammation can be harmful.

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May reduce inflammation -

In one study with 27 participants, for example, applying a nettle cream to an arthritis-affected area significantly reduced pain compared to the placebo.

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May reduce inflammation - Nettle treatments do not yet come recommended, however, since further research is required to confirm their anti-inflammatory properties.

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May treat enlarged prostate -

An enlarged prostate gland, otherwise known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), affects up to 50% of men aged 51 and older.

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May treat enlarged prostate -

Not much is known about what causes BPH, but it can cause significant discomfort and urination problems. Scientists are currently looking to nettle treatments for BPH.

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May treat enlarged prostate -

It is not yet clear how nettles compare to conventional treatments, but there are some studies that show they are effective in treating urination problems.

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May treat hay fever -

Nettles may have properties that enable them to treat hay fever symptoms, too. Test tube research shows that nettle extracts can inhibit the inflammation that leads to allergies.

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May treat hay fever -

Human studies, however, show that stinging nettles are only equal to or slightly better at treating seasonal allergies than a placebo.

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May treat hay fever - More long-term human studies are needed before scientists can confirm whether or not stinging nettle is a viable treatment for seasonal allergies.

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May lower blood pressure -

High blood pressure is very common, but it is a serious health concern as it can put people at risk of heart disease or stroke.

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May lower blood pressure -

Stinging nettle has been used traditionally to treat high blood pressure, and animal and test tube studies show that it may help lower blood pressure in several ways.

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May lower blood pressure -

Again, however, the effect of nettle on blood pressure in humans is not yet clear. More human studies are needed to confirm whether it can be used as a treatment.

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May aid blood sugar control -

The final health benefit of stinging nettle is related to blood sugar. There are both human and animal studies that link stinging nettle to lower blood sugar levels.

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May aid blood sugar control -

In fact, there are compounds in stinging nettle that are thought to mimic the effect of insulin. If this turns out to be true, nettle may be used to control blood sugar.

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May aid blood sugar control -

Further human studies are needed, however, to determine the exact relationship between stinging nettle and blood sugar control.

Sources: (BBC) (Healthline)

See also: Sustainable alternatives to avocado

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